This famous Victoria route is lined with tourist towns and quaint fishing villages and, as such, is loaded up with places to eat. The pristine coast is stocked full with fish and the rich farm countryside produces excellent wine vintages. In addition, Great Ocean Road food and wine is typically not as expensive as enjoying city delights.
The main coastal resorts of Torquay, Apollo Bay and Warrnambool have everything from neat street cafés and tea rooms to hearty pub grub and award-winning gourmet seafood restaurants with fine sea views serving up the freshest catches. Local flavours are found in everything from the bread and cheese to the cakes and wines.
And the best of it, it is all casual and relaxed, as is the true Aussie way. Chris’ Beacon Point—overlooking Apollo Bay—is sublime, while Port Fairy is about as laidback as it gets. Even at larger Geelong, the waterfront area here is stocked with places to dine, as is nearby Barwon Heads.
You can even enjoy tasty delights in the country, especially on the Otway Harvest Trail, with its hearty restaurants, wineries and breweries, complementing the tours and quality accommodation here. And what better to go with seafood snagged right out of the sea than the locally produced wines here.
Many vineyards along the Great Ocean Road have cellar doors, allowing visitors to sample their product. The top wine regions are at Geelong and Henty, with their exceptional reds and whites. The Terindah Estate is also near Geelong, while Otway Estate Winery near Colac also churns out handcrafted beers and cider. Not far away, en route to Port Campbell, is the Timboon Railway Shed Distillery.
Whether you are driving the Great Ocean Road on a self tour, or are on a cycling tour or even an arranged, full-blown guided tour, you can enjoy excellent and fresh Great Ocean Road food and wine all along the route.
Map of Great Ocean Road
